Following Hard After God

Some of the highlights from The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer (Chapter 1: Following Hard After God)

Christian theology teaches the doctrine prevenient grace, which, briefly stated, means that before a man can seek God, God must have sought the man.

Before a sinful man can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within him.

We pursue God because, and only because, he has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit.

The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after him.

God is always previous.

[The following quote is with regard to the church of today... which was 1948 when Tozer wrote this. How much more true today] Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego. Christ may be “received” without creating any special love for him in the soul of the receiver. The man is “saved,” but he is not hungry nor thirsty after God.

We have almost forgotten that God is a person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can. …but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after a long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored.

The moment the Spirit has quickened us to life in regeneration our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition. That is the heavenly birth without which we cannot see the kingdom of God. It is, however, not an end but an inception, for now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart’s happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead.

To have found God and still to pursue him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too easily satisfied religionists, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.

Complacency is a deady foe of all spiritual growth.

[In his day... and in ours]… are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart.

When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation.

Click here to read the prayer that goes with this chapter. It is truly beautiful.

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Spiritual Life Checkup

Over the years I’ve shared a variety of spiritual life checkups. They have been very helpful to the folks I serve… and certainly to me.

This is one that I’ve printed before and shared it with some of the classes I teach at church. It’s a good resource to use as you think about your spiritual health as well as what areas you would like to work on in the new year. I highly recommend taking a look at it and thinking through it. I hope you find it useful. Here’s the introduction to it…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40

Each year many of us will go through a physical check-up, perhaps do a financial check up at year’s end or at tax time, and perhaps do a performance review at our workplace.   But how often do we take time to review our spiritual life?

Those who are saved by grace are called to grow in grace (2 Pet. 3.18).  As disciples of Jesus, we are to live a life of love – love for God and love for our neighbor, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Too often, in the busyness of our day-to-day lives, we let other priorities crowd out the two highest priorities Jesus gave us.   The following questions are designed to help you examine your spiritual life over the past year and to prayerfully seek God’s help in areas where you desire to grow in the New Year.

Click here to read or download the whole checkup.

Blessings,
Dale

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A Year with C.S. Lewis

Join me in 2013 for a year’s journey of drawing closer to God, as well as learning more about our Christian faith, through the life and writings of C.S. Lewis, one of the most popular and influential Christian thinkers of the 20^th century.

My goals for this focus are, first of all, to help acquaint you with the person and works of and about C.S. Lewis. Secondly, I pray that your view of God and the Christian life will grow richer and larger and livelier. Thirdly, my deepest hope is that you will take what you learn and put it into practice as well as share it with others.

There are two ways to spend this year with C.S. Lewis.

1. You can think of this as, “Pastor Dale’s Book Club,” and simply read each month’s assigned book on your own. This will be an independent study of sorts. No checking-in required. Think of the assigned booklist as a helpful suggestion to aid your reading of C.S. Lewis.

OR…

2. You can think of this as a low-key directed study. By that I mean, if you so desire, you are more than welcome to set up times to meet with me to discuss each month’s book, what you’ve learned, questions you may have, etc. The last thing I want to do is add stress to your life, therefore, you are free to meet with me every other week, every other month, or not at all (or any other schedule that you can think of). The choice (and schedule) is up to you!

We begin our literary journey on January 1, 2013. You can check out the reading list below to see what interests you. Read a few of them… or read them all. Whatever you decide to do, I know you’ll be blessed by reading the books of and about this great man. More importantly, you’ll be even more blessed as you grow closer to the God of this great man.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

Reading List

• January – The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis by Alan Jacobs (Biography)
• February – Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis 
• March – A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
• March – Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• April – The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
• May – The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• June – Seeking the Secret Place: The Spiritual Formation of C.S. Lewis by Lyle Dorsett
• July – Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer by C.S. Lewis
• August – The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
• September – Between Heaven & Hell: A Dialogue Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley by Peter Kreeft
• October – Not A Tame Lion by Bruce L. Edwards
• November – The Soul of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by Gene Veith
• December – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The books can be purchased online at Christianbook.com or Amazon.

Locally, I’m certain that Barnes and Noble or Lifeway Christian Store can order the books for you if they do not have them in stock.

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Exchanged Life Spirituality, Part 1

Grasping our Identity in Christ with Ken Boa

 

2012-07-22 Sunday School, Ken Boa Part 1, Exchanged Life Spirituality from Christ Church of Atlanta on Vimeo.

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What I Learned about God from Psalm 99

As I was reading God’s Word a couple of years ago, God reminded me about how awesome he truly is. I was also reminded that I have never regretted reading Scripture early in the morning, but I have absolutely regretted not reading it. Just think what I would have missed out on if I had slept in. Thanks be to God… he woke me up and encountered me in his Word. Here’s the text…

Psalm 99:1-9

The Lord reigns,
let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let the earth shake.
[2] Great is the Lord in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
[3] Let them praise your great and awesome name–
he is holy.

[4] The King is mighty, he loves justice–
you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.
[5] Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.

[6] Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord
and he answered them.
[7] He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

[8] O Lord our God,
you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,
though you punished their misdeeds.
[9] Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.

And here’s what I learned early one morning about God…

• He reigns. (v. 1)
• He is the King, for he sits enthroned between angels. (v. 1)
• He is great and should be exalted over the nations. (v. 2)
• His great and awesome name should be praised. (v. 3)
• He is holy. (v. 3)
• He is the King who is mighty and loves justice. (v. 4)
• He does what is just and right. (v. 4)
• He is the God of his covenant people. He is to be worshipped. (v. 5)
• He is holy. (v. 5)
• He answers those who call on him. (v. 6)
• He speaks to his people. (v. 7)
• He gives laws that are to be obeyed. (v. 7)
• He is a God who forgives. (v.8)
• He disciplines his children when they disobey. (v.8)
• He should be exalted and worshipped, for he is our God and he is holy. (v. 9)

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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Continuing in Christ: The Pilgrim’s Progress

Colossians 2:6

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, [7] rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

We start off so well. With great gratitude and enthusiasm we bow before the throne of our King. Upon placing our trust in Christ alone – “receiving” him – we take on the world in his name.

But motivation and inspiration can wane. That which is not a habit or done out of obedient self-discipline, very often, will not be sustained for the long haul. That is why church history is littered with travelers who fell by the wayside on the narrow road to the celestial city.

Thus, Paul exhorts us to “continue to live in him.” This is much more than simple encouragement to attend church and have your quiet time (both of which are good). Paul is saying that we are to persevere in self-discipline and faithfulness. But more than that, he’s declaring that our very power source is our Lord himself. He is our power, our foundation, our anchor, our compass, our all in all. Jesus is not to be sprinkled on our lives to add a little flavor to an already okay meal. He is to be our life. We died with him in his crucifixion and were raised with him in his resurrection. The life we now live we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us.

I love the following supporting language that Paul uses to undergird his thesis. He adds that we are to be “rooted and built up in him.”

Jesus is the root system of the mighty oak tree. He is our vine. Apart from him, he tells us, we can do nothing. If we would bear fruit, he must be our root. For it is only then that he will bear fruit through us.

Changing our imagery once again, Jesus is our chief cornerstone and we are to be built up in him. He is our only sure foundation. All else is shifting sand. And if we are not built up in him, not only will we not bear fruit, but we will also crumble during the storms of life.

And so be encouraged this week. You have the greatest resource at God’s disposal to enable you to bear much good and lasting fruit in your life – Christ Jesus our Lord and the power of his Spirit. Without him, you cannot do anything. With him, all things are possible.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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Abiding in Christ

A Sunday school lesson a few years back prompted this devotion.

Question: How do you think a spiritually alive person learns what to desire and how to obtain it? (cf. Colossians 1:9-14 and Philippians 1:9-11)

Answer: Here are some bullet points of what the texts above reveal…

We must pray non-stop, asking God to fill us with the knowledge of God’s will – through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

We must pray that we may live a life worthy of the gospel – of our Lord – and that we may please him in every way.

We must pray that we will bear fruit in every good work and that we may grow in the knowledge of God – strengthened with all power…with God’s might.

We must pray that we will have great endurance and patience.

We must pray that our love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. This will enable us to discern what is best. It will enable us to be pure and blameless until Christ returns. It will fill us with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. This will glorify God and be a praise offering to him.

And yet, God will not give us such wisdom, knowledge, discernment, depth of insight, etc., just because we want it…just because we ask for it. To be sure, we can’t obtain such things without him, but we will not receive these gifts and graces without active participation on our part.

I believe this is what it means to “let the words of Christ dwell in us richly” (Col. 3:16). This is surely what Jesus meant when he said that we are to abide or remain in him and he and his words will abide or remain in us (John 15).

God fills us with his Spirit (Eph. 5:18) as we pursue him for all we’re worth in prayer and digging deeply into his Word (i.e., more than a two minute devotional). We must study God’s Word, meditate upon it, share it, teach it to others, and obey it. This is how God’s Word abides in us and dwells in us richly.

This is how the Holy Spirit conforms us into the likeness of Christ. It’s how he transforms us – through the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). It’s how we begin the process of offering our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord (Rom. 12:1)…of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).

To reiterate the prayers of Paul from Colossians and Philippians, it’s how we are enabled (including even given the desire to be enabled) to live lives worthy of the gospel, lives that will please God, lives that will bear fruit in every good work, lives that will be pure and blameless until Christ returns.

Sanctification – or growing in holiness or Christlikeness – will happen in no other way. Nothing truly worth having or achieving happens easily and without effort and intentionality…including this. But the reward will be far greater than we can even imagine.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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